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32 contacts quarantined in Fiyavathi after orphanage staff tests positive

Shahudha Mohamed
06 July 2020, MVT 16:19
Children at the state orphanage 'Fiyavathi' in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale'. PHOTO: MINISTRY OF GENDER, FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES
Shahudha Mohamed
06 July 2020, MVT 16:19

Health Protection Agency (HPA) disclosed on Sunday night that an employee of 'Fiyavathi', the state-run orphanage centre at reclaimed suburb Hulhumale', was found positive for COVID-19.

Speaking at the press briefing held by the Health Emergency Operations Centre (HEOC), HPA's Senior Medical Officer and HEOC's Spokesperson Dr Nazla Rafeeq stated that the positive case in Fiyavathi was identified through the contact tracing process carried out for an individual who was admitted at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

According to HPA, a total of 32 individuals have been quarantined inside Fiyavathi due to this positive case, in certain rooms allocated for the purpose.

HPA revealed that 21 out of the 32 quarantined individuals are children aged between six to 11, while the rest are employees.

The Fiyavathi employee who tested positive for the virus is connected to IGMH's COVID-19 cluster, consisting of 15 infected individuals.

Dr Nazla assured that contact tracing efforts are underway regarding the outbreak in IGMH, adding that a total of 308 samples were collected so far.

Maldives presently has a total of 2,468 confirmed and 403 active cases of COVID-19. Thus far, the country records 2,049 recoveries and 12 deaths.

As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Maldives' capital Malé recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in the first weeks following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15.

The state has eased several restrictions that were implemented to contain the spread of the virus when community spread was confirmed in the Greater Male' region.

Maldives is currently in the third phase of easing lockdown measures in transitioning to the 'new normal' and resuming daily life with precautionary measures.

However, daily virus cases are still identified in the capital, meaning community spread has not entirely ceased in the country. The number of recoveries continue to rise, with 83 percent of patients now recovered.

On March 12, WHO classified the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic. To date, the new strain of novel coronavirus has infected over 11.5 million people and claimed over 537,100 lives around the world. However, out of those infected, more than 6.5 million people have recovered.

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